Automatic circuit-breaker for electric time or other switches.



110.755,29?. PATENTBD MAR.22,1904.

A. W..H`UTCHINS.,

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKER POR. ELECTRIC TIME 0R OTHER SWITCHES.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1903.

any predetermined time or hour.

Patented March 22, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR W. HUTOHINS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-BREAKER FOR ELECTRIC TIME OR OTHER SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,297, dated March 22, 1904.

Application filed May l5, 1903. Serial No. 157,277. (No model.)

To @ZZ when@ t Worry concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. HU'roHiNs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Circuit-Breakers for Electric Time or other Switches, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved automatic cut-out or auxiliary switch adapted to be employed in electric "time-switches, so called, for automatically controllingl electric circuits#such, for example, as electric-lighting or other circuits where it is required to open or close the circuit in which the switch is located at certain times or intervals.

Time-switches of the class just referred to are usually actuated by means of suitable normally stationary motors or mechanism whose movements are controlled byr continuouslyrunning time or clock mechanism arranged to trip a releasing or escapement device at The timeswitch is interposed in the electric circuit and connected to the conducting-wires in any suitable manner. An example of this type of switch is clearly shown and described in United States Patent No. 710,146, issued to H. K. Gardner September SO, 1902.

One of the disadvantages or objections to such former electric time-switches is that no provision was made whereby the electric current may be automatically cut out and the switch made temporarily inoperative say for a day or more at a time, as during Sundays, holidays, tc-the time mechanism itself meanwhile being in continuous action.

The object of this present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device or attachment for electric time-switches capable of overcoming the objection or defect above referred to.`

To that end itconsists, essentially, of a revoluble insulated disk intermittingly actuated by the time-switch or other suitable means and carrying independent current-conducting contact-plates, a series of yielding contactbrushes in normal engagement with said plates and being connected to the main conductors of the circuit, and an adj ustably-mounted nonconducting member moving in unison with said disk, adapted to pass between the adjacent faces of said contact plates and brushes, thereby, for the time being, cutting out the main switch and opening the circuit. It is to be understood that the movements of the said disk of the auxiliary switch or cut-out of the present invention are or may be wholly controlled by the time-switch and that thc electric current cannot iiow into the latter and the circuit which it controls without first passing through the conducting-brushes and the plates carried by the disk of the subsidiary switch or circuit-breaker, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Eigure 1 is a front view or elevation of the auxiliary switch or cut-out comprising the present invention. It also shows a portion of a time-switch and a system of wiring of an electric-lighting circuit; and Fig. 2 is a corresponding side view of the same, portions of the mechanism being sectionally represented.

The following is a more detailed description of the invention and the' manner of its operation.

I would iirst state, however, that in the drawings I have indicated a revoluble switchcarrying shaft s2, to which is secured a nonconducting' member s, the same carrying at each end an electric conductor fa, having, as drawn, two laterally-separated contact-pins u u. These latter when in use are in engagement with a pair of usual yielding brushes e fu, through which in turn the electric current freely passes from one pole e to the other via the corresponding pins u u and conductor u', the same arrangement being employed at the opposite end of the switch s, thus completing the electric circuit. The several poles .e may be secured to a fixed insulated disk or plate E. In switches of this class the shaft is usually actuated intermittingly by a spring-motor, or in any other suitable manner, which is capable of being' tripped at certain prearranged times by continuouslyrevolving clock-driven releasing mechanism which makes one turn, say in twenty-four hours. In case the switch be used in an electric-lighting circuit the rota- IOO tion of the time mechanism operates to open and close the circuit once cach at the hours set for changing the switch. As drawn, the circuit is opened upon next turning the switch and its shaft .s2 one-fourth of a revolution and is again closed by a further one-quarter turn of it. The latter revolves in the arrow direction, and the actual time consumed in opening' or closing the circuit is but two or three seconds. To the said shaft s2 is secured a small gear g in engagement with a larger gear f/, forming a part of the auxiliary cut-out device VA. This latter is mounted on a revoluble shaft m and supported in any suitable way-d as, for example, a bearing or standard m2. To the front end of shaft m is secured a wheel or disk d, of non-conducting material, having a pair of concentric current-conducting rings or plates e e secured to each of its fiat faces. The plates e e are oppositely located at the outer portion of the wheel and united by a series of conducting pins or rivets p. The inner or smaller plates c e are similarly arranged and united. The front end of the shaft m is screw-threaded and provided with a nut a and clamping-collar a. Between the adjacent faces of said collar and the front pair of plates e e of the disk d is interposed a thin segment-shaped guard z' of vulcanite or other suitable non-conducting material adapted to be held in position by means of said nut and collar. The guard, as drawn, covers practically one seventh of the disks face. The disk may be subdivided, as desired, into any number of spaces. The drawing represents seven, indicating the seven days of a week. The divisions are merely surface-marks. Located in the paths of the two sets of said conducting rings or plates c e/ are arranged two pairs of fixed currentconducting brushes. The two front ones f' f are or may be permanently connected to corresponding conductors a of the main electric circuit, the rear brushes f/ f being electrically connected to corresponding conductors a respectively. As thus constructed it will be seen that the revoluble disk Z is simply interposed between the severed circuit-wires, the several brushes when in engagement with the corresponding plates e 1 serving to maintain a closed electric circuit.

Assuming now that my improved automatic cut-out or auxiliary switch A is connected with and actuated by an intermittingly-revolving shaft s2, in turn controlled by any suitable automatic electric tirne-switch, located, say, in an electric-lighting circuit M, the operation is substantially as follows: rlhe said circuit may be opened and closed at predetermined or fixed intervals by the action of any suitable switch or a time-switch, the latter at the same time rotating the shaft s2, say, onefourth of a revolution whenever the circuit is thus opened or closed, thereby rotating the disk or index-wheel d a degree of movement corresponding to the ratio of the actuatinggears l.r/ and r/.

The daily intermittent movements of the time-switch and the corresponding daily opening and closing of the lighting-circuit will be normally unaffected by the presence of the interposed circuit-breaker or switch A, except when the wheel d thereof in its movements carries the previously-adjusted thin iioircoiiducting member between it and the adjacent brushes f/ f, the latter at the .'ame time yielding.sufiiciently for the purpose, thereby opening or breaking the electrical contact between the live conductors and the wheel, and consequently automatically cutting' out the lighting-circuit M.. WV hen the member v1 passes by the brushes, the circuit will then become automatically restablished or closed, thereby permitting the time-switch to work normally until the circuit is again opened by the action of wheel (Z, Sac., as just described.

The ind exewheel Z may be divided to indicate the days of the week, as Sunday, Monday, &c., or otherwise divided into spaces, as desired. If the circuit is to be cut out-as, for example, on Sunday-the member '2i is moved axially and secured in position over the space marked Sunday. Obviously it may be similarly adjusted for other days or even a number of days. In the latter case the eutout z' may be made correspondingly longer circumfcrentially or otherwise adapted for the purpose.

While my improved circuit-breaker A is well adapted for use with mechanically-actuated time-switches, it is obvious that it may be employed without change or modification in other forms of switches provided with a revoluble gear-carrying shaft, as s2, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patentl. A circuit-breaker having contact members or brushes connected with or cut into the conducting-wires of an electric circuit, a

movable disk or member provided with independent conducting-plates in engagement with said brushes to maintain a normally closed circuit, an insulated or non-conducting member arranged with respect to and moving in unison with said disk and capable of passing between said brushes and conducting-plates to open the circuit, a switch interposed in the electric circuit adapted to control the action of the circuit-breaker and a means connecting said switch with the circuit-breaker to actuate the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an intermittingly revoluble non-conducting index-wheel provided with independent current-conducting members or plates, of independently-yielding contact-brushes in normal electrical engagement with said plates and electrically connected with the main conductors of an electric circuit, a thin non-conducting adjustably- IOO mounted member c' adapted to move in unison with said wheel, whereby the rotation of the latter is capable of forcibly interposing said member @7 between the brushes and said plates of the wheel to temporarily open the circuit, means engaging said index-wheel for retaining the same, and a switch connected in the lighting-circuit adapted to engage with said last-named means wherebysaid intermittentlyrevoluble index-wheel is actuated, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a suitably-mounted revoluble disk or Wheel d, two independent current-conducting rings or terminals, e', e, secured to each of the two faces of said wheel whereby the latter is adapted to normally carry the current therethrough from one side to the other, two pairs of iiXed current-conducting brushes, f', f, in normal yielding engagement with the corresponding conductors, c', c, said brushes being interposed in and connected with the conductors of an electric circuit, and a non-conducting member partly covering said conductors, c, e, capable of being adjustably secured in position with respect to said wheel and moving concurrently therewith, substantially as hereinbefore described and for the purpose set forth.

4. Inadevice of the type set forth, the combination of a time-switch comprising a rotatable member, insulating' means mounted for rotation therewith adapted to temporarily render the said switch inoperative for a determined period, a switch for controlling the operation of the time-switch connected in a lighting-circuit, and means adapted to be actuated by said last-named switch adapted to engage with the time-switch to actuate the same, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a lighting-circuit, a time-switch connected therein being adapted for daily, weekly, and monthly indications of time, said switch comprising a rotatable insulated member, independent contact-plates carried thereby, yielding contact-brushes in normal engagement with said plates, an adjustably mounted conducting member adapted to move with the rotatable member, between said brushes to temporarily open the circuit, rotatable means for engaging the said timeswitch and a second switch engaging with said rotatable means adapted to control the action ot' the same, said second switch being in the lighting-circuit, substantially as described.

6. The combination with an electric-lighting circuit, a time-switch adapted for indication oi' daily, weekly and monthly divisions of time, comprising a rotatable member, independent conducting contact-plates, mounted thereon, a series of yielding brushes in normal engagement with the said plates, a circuitbreaking member adjustably mounted on the rotatable member and movable therewith, a second switch interposed in the lighting-circuit for controlling the action or" the circuitbreaker, rotatable means connecting said second switch with thetime-switch whereby the latter is adapted to be actuated, substantially as described.

7. 1n combination with an electric circuit, an intermittently-movable time-switch comprising a rotatable member having independent contact-plates thereon, means for normally engaging the plates for closing the circuit, means adjustably mounted on said rotatable member adapted to disengage said last-named means from contact with said plates, and means for actuating said adjustable means, connected in said lighting-circuit, comprising a second switch and a gearing actuated thereby in engagement with said movable time-switch, substantially as described.

Signed atProvidence, Rhode Island, this 11th day of May, 1903.

ARTHUR WV. HUTCHINS.

Vitnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, VILLIAM A. SULLIVAN. 

